Fyi,
There are two prominent sites on the Internet for listings of
organic fertilizers.
First, go to the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF's)
site and look at:
SECTION 8 ORGANIC PRACTICES AND LIST OF MATERIALS
8.4 BRAND NAMES LIST
8.4.3 Brand Names Listed by Generic Category.
8.4.4 Source Directory
http://www.ccof.org/handbook/Handbook_8ext.htm#s8d4
----Note: The classification of materials on this CCOF list is
----based on information submitted by the manufacturer and reviewed
----by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). CCOF
----transferred the Brand Name review process to OMRI in 1997.
Secondly, go to Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural
Areas (ATTRA) and see:
Sources for Organic Fertilizers and Amendments
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/orgfert.html
----Note: The 1999 update of the ATTRA organic fertilizers list will
----be on-line in 2-3 weeks.
Fyi, the super duper official place for verification as to which
materials may be used in"certified organic" production is Organic
Materials Review Institute, or OMRI.
Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
P.O. Box 11558
Eugene, OR 97440-3758
541-343-7600
541-343-8971 Fax
info@omri.org
http://www.omri.org
The reality still exists that it ain't easy to go organic in many
parts of the country, due to lack of organic fertilizer supplies
at affordable rates, largely due to shipping expenses for bulk
materials.
In places like California, my impression is that a load of compost
or rock phosphate is just a phone call away because there are dealers
and distributors of organic products up and down the state.
But out here in the hinterlands, a load of rock phosphate is still
half a continent away. About the only solution is to "pool" a
22-ton semi-truck load of rock phosphate from Florida or North
Carolina with the few fellow organic farmers scattered across your
part of the state. That takes planning, planning, planning. Lots of
phone calls and lead time.
By comparison, the neighbor farmer using conventional fertilizers
just calls up the local fertilizer dealer and they are out spreading
18-46-0 or 0-0-60 the next day with a fertilizer buggy.
Nope, organic farming is no piece of cake, but at least there
are informational resources for farmers that exist today to
support a transition that were unimaginable 10 years ago.
Steve Diver
To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".
All messages to sanet-mg are archived at:
http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail